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Khartoum, Sudan – Sudan’s Ministry of Health has reported a growing cholera outbreak in the country, with 9,533 confirmed cases and 315 deaths as of Sunday. The cumulative infection rate continues to rise as the country battles both a public health crisis and ongoing conflict. The ministry’s statement, as cited by Xinhua news agency, highlighted the severity of the outbreak, which was officially declared last month.
Sudan’s Health Minister, Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, announced that laboratory tests had confirmed cholera as the cause of widespread watery diarrhea in the country. “The lab test of watery diarrhea at the Public Health Laboratory proves it to be cholera,” Ibrahim said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also raised alarms, reporting that 11,327 cases of cholera with 316 fatalities have been recorded so far. In a recent media briefing, WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris warned that the actual number of infections is likely higher than reported due to difficulties in monitoring and reporting cases amid the ongoing conflict.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been in turmoil due to a violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This war has severely impacted the country’s healthcare system, making it harder to combat the spread of epidemic diseases. Along with cholera, other diseases like malaria, measles, and dengue fever have been spreading rapidly, leaving hundreds dead and overwhelming health services already strained by years of economic hardship and political instability.
The deteriorating situation has prompted international concern. The WHO is closely monitoring the outbreak, while healthcare facilities struggle with limited resources to manage the surging number of cases. Cholera, a waterborne bacterial infection, is often transmitted through contaminated water sources, and in conflict zones like Sudan, disrupted water and sanitation systems have exacerbated its spread.
Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is further complicated by its health emergency. The widespread violence has displaced millions of people, pushing them into overcrowded camps with poor sanitary conditions, creating perfect conditions for cholera and other waterborne diseases to thrive.
Humanitarian agencies and health organizations have called for immediate international support to curb the outbreak, provide essential medical supplies, and improve access to clean water. However, ongoing fighting has restricted access to many affected areas, making it difficult for aid to reach those most in need.
As cholera cases continue to climb and other epidemic diseases rise, Sudan faces a dual challenge of controlling infectious disease outbreaks while navigating the fallout of a brutal conflict.
